Local Plan Monitor – April

Basildon

At the end of March 2019, Basildon Council submitted its Draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State for Independent Examination; on 1 April 2019 an Inspector was appointed. The schedule of hearing sessions is expected to be released soon, with the sessions due to take place later this year.

Stevenage

The Stevenage Borough Council Local Plan has been considered sound for adoption since November 2017, at which point the process was put under a Section 21A holding direction. As of the end of March 2019, this has now formally been lifted by the Secretary of State for MCHLG, subject to the preparation of a new Area Action Plan for Stevenage’s “Station Gateway”. The Council will now be expected to proceed towards the adoption of their local plan. 

Breckland

Following the completion of the Examination Hearing Sessions in 2018, a consultation for Main Modifications to the Local Plan was opened from 18 February to 1 April 2019. Due to a formatting error therein, a small number of modifications were incorrectly displayed. To allow for representations to be properly made on these modifications there is an additional 6-week consultation opened from 3 April until 5pm on 15 May 2019. This consultation is only open for comments pertaining to: MM18: Policy HOU 05 – Small Villages and Hamlets Outside of Settlement Boundaries; MM119: Supporting Text ENV 03: Title and paragraph 5.19 to 5.26; and MM148: Supporting text para. 7.18. 

Broads Authority

On 15 April 2019, the Broads Authority received their Inspector’s Report which, subject to a small number of modifications, deems the Local Plan ‘sound’ for adoption. Before the Plan can be formally adopted, it will be presented to the Full Authority and Planning Committees in May 2019 for members’ approval. 

West Suffolk

West Suffolk Council was officially formed on 1 April 2019 with the merger of Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury District Councils. Future planning policy and decisions will be controlled by this single body, with existing adopted planning polices for St Edmundsbury, and emerging policies for Forest Heath, continuing to apply until such time as a new local plan is adopted (due in 2023). 

East Suffolk

Concurrently with the formation of West Suffolk Council, East Suffolk Council was officially formed on 1 April 2019 with the merger of Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Councils. Planning policy will still be controlled through the existing Local Plans for the two former council areas.

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Other Lanpro News

Knowl Green Planning Permission

Lanpro has secured planning permission for three free range poultry houses and a biomass boiler at a farm in Knowl Green, within the District of Braintree. The development is for up to 40,000 birds with around 1.5ha of roaming space associated with each of the houses, providing all of the birds free range conditions. Lanpro have been working alongside Traditional Norfolk Poultry (TNP) as part of their initiative to secure their supply chain of poultry. The opportunity with TNP means that farmers have access to a number of professionals who can support them in developing their own free range poultry farm.

Lanpro provided full planning consultancy services to the scheme from feasibility stage through to securing planning permission dealing with matters relating to landscape, emission control and highways. All matters were resolved with no statutory objections which meant the scheme was resoundingly approved by the members at Braintree District Council planning committee.

Lanpro Instructed on Digi Tech Proposal

Lanpro have been appointed to provide planning consultancy, interior design and landscape services for a new digital technology building on the City College campus in Norwich. The new building will provide high quality digital technology facilities and teaching spaces to support educational activities and businesses sector growth which is not available elsewhere in the county. This development will be a flagship building for the campus which forms part of the Colleges masterplan for redevelopment.

Greater Norwich Housing Land Supply

Although not yet formally published, as of mid-April 2019 South Norfolk Council has been using a new “Interim Greater Norwich Housing Land Supply Assessment” to demonstrate the Council’s latest figures on housing supply in the Greater Norwich area. This is not a formally published Annual Monitoring Report or Statement of 5-Year Supply. Lanpro has questioned its status, weight and content and its application to the determination of planning applications.

In addition, whilst it is noted above in our ‘Upcoming Local Plan Consultations’ table that the Greater Norwich Draft Local Plan will be consulted on in the Autumn, it had come to our attention that a draft Local Plan may be published earlier than this.

For further information on these matters, please get in touch.

Further Information

For more information, please do get in contact. Within the East of England, we also monitor Council’s 5-year Housing Land Supply Position, and the progress of Neighbourhood Plans.

Contact

Planning Team

Email: planningteam@lanproservices.co.uk

Tel: 01603 631 319